Mom's Piano Scarf

Let me start by saying that this silly scarf is the epitome of what blood sweat and tears means to my knitting career. It was by FAR the most difficult and frustrating project I've ever worked on, but also the most satisfying to offer as a gift. Especially to my mom, who knows the meaning of homemade projects and appreciates them more than anyone I know.

My mom is a piano teacher and fellow craft enthusiast, so once I had started knitting, I had this picture in my mind of knitting a scarf that looked like a piano keyboard. I had no idea what kind of undertaking this could turn into when trying to find a pattern that was JUST what I wanted (since obviously I stubbornly passed on several easier versions as I already knew exactly what I wanted it to look like). My knitting teacher and guru, Lisa, helped me put together a double-knit pattern from a simple piano chart that I found online here.

I honestly couldn't even tell you how she helped me cast that bad boy on, but using a ball of white and black each in Cascade 220 yarn, I (Lisa) cast on 39 stitches of EACH yarn in alternating colors. I placed a stitch marker where the black keys would end, so I knew (and didn't have to count each row) where to change colors mid-row on some of the rows on the chart.

So basically everything was knit or purl... but you were doing it at the same time, holding both yarns together. Whatever yarn you were knitting with, was the color that you wanted to be on that side... so if you were doing white keys, you'd be knitting with the white and holding that yarn with your index finger. Whatever color was the opposite of what you were knitting, you were purling that one and holding it on your middle finger. Following the chart, the first row was read right to left and knit with that color. The second row, and all subsequent even rows were read from left to right and knit with opposite color of what was shown. It took me a good 4-5 hours to get the hang of knitting with two yarn, one on each finger, till I could finish one row mistake free in under 20 minutes.

I had a fairly major setback about 7 inches into the scarf where I took an ambien for sleep... DO NOT KNIT WHILE ON AMBIEN. I basically "slept knit" and without following any resemblance of a pattern knotted my poor scarf into oblivion. Since I knew I couldn't cast on again by myself, I spent the better part of 6 hours taking out (unknitting) what I had done.

Ironically enough, my mom saw this mistake and knew it would take a miracle to recover from that enough to continue on with the scarf let alone finish it (this was in October). She even said she would be happy with a potholder of the piano pattern (liar) but I knew I was somehow going to make this happen for Christmas. That being said, I think I spent an average of 4 hours a day for the next 2 months working on that silly scarf and now am so glad I did, as it was truly one of my most proudest crafting accomplishments and I was thrilled to give it to mom for Christmas.

So the finished product is essentially two scarves in one... the front being white with black keys and the back being black with white keys. I learned that in double knitting you have to always start each row with a purl, and make sure you twist the yarn at the beginning of each row so that your two scarves stay sewn together as you go. And again, always hold the yarn you're knitting with on the index finger and the purling yarn on the middle finger. Other than following the chart, there wasn't much else too it... but this in NO WAY says that it was easy from here! Admittedly, this scarf made me cry and then of course made me even more determined to conquer the damn thing!

I actually wasn't sure how to bind off for this one, and after taking the scarf with me to a knitting shop AND having a neighbor take a look, we decided that the best method would be to bind off using the black yarn only, and just weave the white in. It looks only okay... I don't love it... but it works and I was honestly just happy to call it a completed project! I made mine to be a full keyboard of 88 keys (on each side obviously since it's essentially two scarves in one) and all in all ended up using almost 3 full hanks of Cascade 220 of each color on size 7 circular needles.

After I finished this scarf, I found THIS site that shows an almost identical project. It just offers additional insight as to how I got this done.

I have heard a few times that "knitting a sweater is like saying 'I love you' 150,000 times in a row" and as corny as that is, with the work and effort I put into each of my projects (especially this one) it is really true. I love you mom, at LEAST 150,000 times.

The Cabled Bag

I had been thinking about how I could break out of my "Scarf and Hat" knitting plateau so I tried to find something that I could knit that wouldn't be a scarf, or a hat, or a disaster. This Cabled bag actually came out really cool, but I can't decide what to do with it now that it's made. I'm not sure it's cool enough to actually use as a bag. I thought about giving it to one of my friends (who ironically enough ended up getting a scarf) for Christmas, but I didn't want to put them in a situation like "hey, here's this really ugly purse that you'll now be forced to use since I handmade it and you'll feel guilty if you don't." I know, I'm so thoughtful.

Anyway, I will probably make another because I bought 3 sets of handles and it was fun to make, soooooo, if anyone would like a bag that looks like this, please let me know so I can knit for a purpose. :-)

I found the pattern here

but following is another illustration of the pattern:

STITCH EXPLANATION:

CABLE PATTERN
Set up Row (WS): K1, *k2, p6, rep from * to last 3 sts, end k2, k1.
Row 1 (RS): K1, *p2, 3/3 LC, p2, k6, rep from * twice, p2, 3/3 LC, p2, k1.
Row 2 & all WS rows: K1, *k2, p6, rep from * to last 3 sts, k2, k1.
Rows 3, 5, & 9: K1, *p2, k6, rep from * to last 3 sts, p2, k1.
Row 7: K1, *p2, k6, p2, 3/3 LC, rep from * twice, p2, k6, p2, k1.
Row 11: Knit.
Row 12: Rep Row 2.

STITCH EXPLANATION
3/3 LC (3 over 3 left cross)
Slip 3 sts to cable needle and hold in front, k3, then k3 from cable needle.


BACK
Cast on 60 sts.
Work Set-up Row.
Work Cable Pattern Rows 1-12, 3 times, Rows 1-8 once. Slip sts to st holder.

FRONT
Work same as Back.

FINISHING
Sew side and bottom seams.

Handles
Transfer sts from first st holder back onto needle. From WS, insert crochet hook through first purse Handle and draw up a loop. Bring yarn around ring and draw a second loop through the first loop and through the first st on needle. Slip st off needle. Continue to work crochet wrap in this manner across remaining sts, then continue to work crochet wrap into ring Handle alone until ring is covered. Repeat for sts on other st holder and second ring Handle. Weave in ends.

Now, I actually followed this pattern word for word and the ONLY thing I didn't end up doing was covering all the handles with the yarn because I got halfway done and decided it looked better like it was. I even used Lionbrand yarn- the "thick and quick" in a basic "taupe" color. I thought the cabled pattern was really nice though and came out well. I'm thinking I may use the same pattern to make a cabled scarf. But then there I go again with the scarf thing... I am going to be the old lady with too many scarves and a cat. Ugh.

SO there you have it. I shall call it the "cool to make but ugly cabled bag that nobody wants" project. Unless of course somebody wants it... LMK.

Dave's Girly Hats

Two little sweethearts, Adelaide and Havana, are the daughters of my boss, Dave. I wanted to make them something cute and pink, partially because they are so darn adorable and mostly because I'm such a brown-noser (remember the boss's wife's wine coozie? yeah)... but really because I just love making stuff for kids.

I picked out this AWESOME yarn from a little yarn shop in the South Loop of Chicago in neon pink. It's just a chunky/bulky weight acrylic wool blend and required a size 13 needle. I also used a hold-along yarn called "bebop" by Crystal Palace that was a mixture of neon green, pink and whatever else fuzz.

For Adelaide, who's a bit older, I cast on 56 stitches on size 13 circulars holding the two yarns together. I just did a simple garter stitch so it would curl up at the brim. I did this for 6 rows around. Then I switched to size 11 needles and did about 4 more rows of garter and started the decrease.

For Havana, I cast on 48 stitches and followed the exact same process.

For the Decrease- I counted 6 stitches in knit, then knit two together. Then knit a row. Then 5 stitches knit, knit two together, then knit a row... so on and so forth until I knit two together all the way around. I used a darting needle to close the top.

For the pompom, I literally just wrapped both yarn around two fingers a whole bunch of times, tied it, and then cut the circle open and fluffed it out. Easy enough.

I know my boss will take a picture of them wearing these for me, so stay tuned :-)

Chunky Chicago Cowl

Smooshy and lacy waves of warmth!
Difficulty Level: Easy!
Dimensions: 25" circumference, 12" height

I definitely stole this pattern from another fun knitting website I found (I'm constantly perusing the internet in search of new fun patterns...) here. Then I put my own spin on it. I am for sure going to try it with LionBrand yarn (I really like their "thick and quick") though as it's cheap and comes in tons of fun colors, but I had this really thick yarn and had been looking for something to make with it... anyway, here goes:

I used size 13 circular needles and a stitch marker. The gauge is unimportant.
I first cast on 55 stitches, placed the marker and joined to knit in the round.
Rows 1 & 2 - Knit
Row 3 - *(p2tog) twice, (yo, k1) 3 times, yo, (p2tog) twice; repeat from * 4 more times
Row 4 - Knit
Repeat these rows 7 more times. Knit one more row and then bind off loosely. Voila!

I have made four of these so far and given two away as gifts. I think they're a hit and are certainly easy to make! I finished one in about 3 hours, so it's a nice project to work on while watching tv in the evenings. I love the chunky yarn I bought from Cascade Yarns called Lana Grande- it is a super bulky weight yarn that came in a lot of fun colors.

This looks super cute with a coat and will be perfect for the upcoming Chicago winter! And, as my bff mentioned, is a GREAT double chin hider ;-)

Nick's Collegiate Hat

Nick's Collegiate Hat

I made this hat for one of my brothers, Nick, who just graduated college from Drexel University in Philly. They are the Drexel Dragons with the colors of navy and gold. I actually followed an older pattern and just cast on more stitches to make it larger.

I used the same idea as the Pumpkin head beanie, because this is actually a reversible pattern with one side being more of a beanie and the other shaping as more of a beret. If you check out the Pumpkin Head hats http://erincanknit.blogspot.com/2009/08/halloweenie-beanie-aka-pumpkin-head-hat.html you can see that this is in more of a beret shape. I flipped it to the other side for the little broski.

I just cast on 110 and followed the exact same pattern.

I added in two rows of gold into an otherwise navy hat. It turned out great and my brother said he would actually WEAR it!

Huffy Hat

I made this "huffy hat" in about 3 hours, which is probably a record for me. I call it the huffy hat as that is the childhood nickname for my stepdad, Richard, who this hat (and scarf when complete) will be for.

He is probably one of the few males in my life that will appreciate a hand made gift like this as he's got his own artsy side as well. My stepfather, Rich, has been a great father-figure in my life, and I say figure as I do have a Dad that is wonderful also, although I'm not sure he'd wear a hat that I knit. Huffy would. I am also known to him endearingly as "muffy"... so the name seemed appropriate.

I used a city tweed in chocolate that I bought on sale at knitpicks.com for about 3.99 a ball. I used size 7 circulars and cast on 72 stitches. After joining in the round, I followed the ribbing pattern of K2, P2 for about 9 inches. I have found that making really long hats works well as they can be folded over and can still cover the tops of ears.

I used a new decrease pattern I found and it turned out pretty cool, which is why I wanted to share this new design. The scarf will follow, at some point...

Any type/color of worsted-weight yarn (try several colors, and do stripes if you like!), cast on 72 st, and do the rib stitch (described above) for desired length (again, I like them long). To start decrease:

First: (This is the beginning of the cast off): k.2, k2 tog, repeat to end of row
Next row: purl
Next row: * k.1, k2 tog to end of row
Next row: purl*
Continue * *until there are 7-10 stitches left on the needle.

Sew in a circular pattern picking up all leftover stitches and wind through top of design to hide the end. That's all she wrote.

The Boss's Wife Wine Coozie

My mom raised me to never show up at someone’s house empty-handed (especially someone you’d like to make a good impression on, like your boyfriend’s parents or your boss’s wife…). It just so happens I was invited to my boss’s wife's home jewelry party and wanted to make something nice to show that I’m not only the best employee in the office but am amazingly creative, thoughtful and talented. HA. In my dreams. Let’s just say everyone loves wine and who doesn’t want to oooh and aaaahh over a little wine coozie.

I kind of did a variation on several wine coozie patterns that I found online to make one that worked for me. The whole thing from cast on to the bow tie finish on the cord took me about 10-15 hours over 3 days, so all in all, it was a pretty quick project. Since I’m still suffering from pain from the back surgery, I have been the loser of all losers and doing absolutely nothing on the weekends. The finishing of this little bobble made me feel like I was half-way productive this particular Friday and Saturday night!

To make the coozie- I used Lionbrand’s homespun beige yarn on size 9 double pointed needles:
Cast on 36 stitches and divide onto 3 dpn's. Place marker and join to begin working in the round.

Work 9 rows K3, P3 ribbing around.
Row 10: K3 *P1, yo, P2tog, K1, yo, K2tog* repeat between *'s around to last 6 stitches, K1, yo, K2tog, P3
Work 9 more rows K3, P3 ribbing around.
Knit all stitches on next and all following rows until work measures 12 1/2 ".
Purl 1 row.
Knit 2 rows and begin decreases.

Decrease rows:
Row 1: *K2, K2tog* repeat between *'s around
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: *K1, K2tog* repeat between*'s around
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: *K2tog* repeat between *'s around

Cut yarn and thread through stitches remaining on needles. Weave in ends.
To create the “berries and leaves” (they were supposed to be grapes but I got sick of making the little round balls after three, so thus, they are berries) I used a sock weight yarn called “Matsuri Lime/Purple”. Oddly enough I ripped out the purple part for the berries and the Lime for the leaves, but that’s why you can see flecks of all colors in each.

I used size 2 straight needles for both:
To make the Leaves:
CO 5 sts.
Row 1 [RS]: K2, YO, k1, YO, k2. 7 sts.
Row 2 and All WS Rows: P all sts.
Row 3 [RS]: K3, YO, k1, YO, k3. 9 sts.
Row 5 [RS]: K4, YO, k1, YO, k4. 11 sts.
Row 7 [RS]: K5, YO, k1, YO, k5. 13 sts.
Row 9 [RS]: Ssk, k9, k2tog. 11 sts.
Row 11 [RS]: Ssk, k7, k2tog. 9 sts.
Row 13 [RS]: Ssk, k5, k2tog. 7 sts.
Row 15 [RS]: Ssk, k3, k2tog. 5 sts.
Row 17 [RS]: Ssk, k1, k2tog. 3 sts.
Row 19 [RS]: Sl 1, k2tog, psso. 1 st rem. Bind off.

To make the berries:
CO 3 sts
Row 1: P3
Row 2: K1, YO, K1, YO, K1 (5 stitches)
Row 3: P5
Row 4: K5
Row 5:P5
Row 6: K2tog through the back, K1, K2tog (3 stitches)
Row 7: Slip 1, P2 tog through the back pass slip stitch over, thread end through to cast off

Tie both cast on and cast off ends together and use one end to sew base together and make a small ball

I used a twisted cord to finish and looped it through the ridge on the coozie while it was on a wine bottle to make sure it fell in the correct places. Tied in a bow and “ta-da”.

broken rib stitch scarf and ribbed hat

The Broken Rib Stitch scarf and hat set is made out of my new favorite yarn by Lion Brand called "thick n quick". It's super chunky and knits up really fast which is obviously satisfying that you can start a project and finish it so quickly.

The hat is a very basic pattern that I follow all the time for most of my hats. It's a simple rib stitch that I made extra long so there was room to fold over a brim.

The scarf is broken rib stitch which is just a version of ribbing in a K2, P2 pattern. So to cast on it is an even number (I did 20) and then add an extra 3 stitches (so I had 23). Follow the K2, P2 pattern till the last three, then do K2, P1. Follow this for every row. The extra purl stitch is what makes the "broken" rib for the next row. I added tassels on and... ta da!

This is a great yarn and an easy pattern for a warm set for cold Chicago winters!

Isaiah's Knits

Isaiah is the son of my best friend Erin, who with me is known as the other half of the "Urns". Isaiah is our love child and I absolutely adore him like my own. He has, however, gotten some of the the firsts that I've ever knitted including this wreck of a baby blanket...

This is the first thing I ever tried to make other than a scarf- and let's just say it's is more "cape" like rather than the symmetrical square size it should be. Whatever, it's soft and it's the thought that counts, right? Okay okay, he's got another one in the works that will be much nicer and fancier. For now, he's got a blankey that can be stuffed in the stroller or car seat to keep his little feeties warm on night-time walks around their Wilmington NC neighborhood.

I used a soft baby alpaca yarn (2.5 skeins) and with size 15 circular needles did a simple garter stitch for the whole thing. Then I used the slim knowledge of tassles to tie on some uneven ones as the finishing touch. It's not my best work, but I wanted Isaiah to have the first blanket I had ever made.

Erin and I also like to call him "pumpkin head" so he of course got one of those little caps too. He's too cute for words and I miss him (and his mommy!) everyday.

Baby Patrick Baby Blankey

This blankey was made for my Mom's Cousin Kelly's Son, Patrick... so that makes him my, uh, 3rd cousin once removed? I have no clue. Anyway, Kelly is one of my favorites and when she had a baby, I arranged a trip to see her while I was also in North Carolina visiting my friend Erin. It worked out great as I got to spend some quality time with her three sons, Tyler, Ryan and Patrick (and husband Shawn). This was probably my best knitting project to date just because it was fun to knit, the yarn was soft and easy to work with, and it came out really nice.

I cast on 110 stitches on size 11 straight needles. Work in a garter stitch for about 2.5 inches ending on a wrong side row.

The Pattern:
Row 1: K13, place marker, *yo, K1; Repeat from * to last 13 sts, place marker, K13 (you will have 168 sts between markers at this point)
Row 2: K13, purl to marker, K13
Row 3: K13, K2tog to marker, K13 (back to 110 sts)
Row 4 and Row 5: K13, *yo, K2tog, rep from * to marker, K13
Rows 6, 7, 8: Knit across

Repeat rows 1-8 until blanket measures approximately 32.5 inches, finish with another 2.5 inches of garter stich and bind off purlwise.

I used a worsted weight yarn in a soft cotten blend for this yarn in a color called "silver sage". It's washable and easy to work with!

Check out the cutest pics of Babby Patrick cuddling with his handmade gift from Cousin Erin :-)

Thick-Thin Scarf and Hat Set

This is a very simple garter knit scarf using something called "thick/thin" yarn which is basically exactly what the name implies! It is very thin in places and very thick and fluffy in others. I cast on 20 stitches and knit in garter stitch for about two feet.

For the hat I did 10 rows of knitting after casting on 56 stitches and then 1 row of purl bumps so that it gave the hat a little texture and it didn't curl in on the ends. I followed this so that there are three distinct rows of purl bumps prior to decreasing. The whole set together took me about 15 hours over the course of a few weeks. Simple, warm, and cute!